Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BSP nominees to dent both BJP, I.N.D.I.A. bloc in UP

Some of the Muslim candidates fielded by the BSP are quite strong and could turn the contest triangular hurting the I.N.D.I.A. bloc nominees on these seats.

Lucknow: BSP's two lists of 25 candidates from Uttar Pradesh which were released on Sunday, for the first three phases of the Lok Sabha polls, were likely to give headache to both the BJP and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.

The lists contain seven Muslim nominees, who were fielded from the Muslim dominated seats in the western and central regions in the state. These candidates were certain to make a dent into the Muslim vote bank of the SP-Congress alliance in the state.

Some of the Muslim candidates fielded by the BSP were quite strong and enjoyed considerable support among their community and they could turn the contest triangular hurting the I.N.D.I.A, bloc nominees on these seats.

BSP has fielded Dr Mujahid Hussain from Amroha LS seat from where sitting BSP MP Danish Ali was in the fray as Congress nominee. .Danish Ali, who had contested the 2019 LS poll from Amroha as the joint candidate of SP and BSP, had defeated BJP's Kanwar Singh Tanwar by a margin of over 64 thousand votes. Any division in the Muslim votes may dent his chances this time.

BSP has fielded a Muslim candidate from the Muslim dominated Rampur LS seat also. Its candidate Zeeshan Khan could eat into the votes of the SP nominee there. Since the Rampur seat has been a stronghold of senior SP leader Azam Khan, who was currently lodged in jail, BSP's Muslim candidate may make things difficult for the SP nominee, who in all probability be someone from Azam Khan's family.

BSP has also fielded Muslim candidates from Sambhal, Moradabad, Pilibhit, Aonla and Saharanpur where Muslims were in sizable numbers and could impact the outcome of the polls. Apparently BSP supremo Mayawati would be hoping to weave a Muslim-Dalit' combination to romp home. 

The BSP has fielded candidates from thaur, jat and Gurjar communities on several seats in the western region who may hurt the prospects of the BJP nominees. For instance BSP nominee from Kairana Sripal Singh Rana, who hails from thakur community, may dent the BJP vote bank in the constituency. 

Similarly the BSP nominee from Muzaffarnagar Dara Singh Praja[ati, who hailed from OBC community, could also hurt the BJP on the seat while its candidate Deovrat Tyagi could also make a dent into the BJP votes at Meerut. BSP nominees from Baghpat and Gautam Budh Nagar seats, Praveen Bansal and Rajendra Singh Solanki could also hurt the BJP on the two seats.